Breast Reduction

Do your breasts cause you to have neck and back pain? Rashes in the creases? Embarrassement? Sagging? Or are they just too big for your body? There are many great reasons to undergo breast reductions… and these are just a few. Dr. K. Roxanne Grawe will help you transition from breasts that are heavy and sagging to perky, balanced breasts that you love!

Aspire to be…sized just right!

HOW IT WORKS:

Consultation and Planning:

When you come to a consultation at ROXY Plastic Surgery, Dr. Grawe will examine you and determine if you are a candidate for breast reduction surgery. She will go over the symptoms you have that are caused by breasts that are too large for your body. You will discuss how a breast reduction is done and where the scars will be. She will show you how a breast reduction can reduce the size of your breasts as well as lift them to a perkier position on your chest.

Scar Location Options:

There are multiple options for breast reduction scars and Dr. Grawe will discuss with you which option is best for your specific breast shape, size, and nipple location.

Inverted T: aka anchor scar. This is the most common type of breast reduction. The scar is around the areola (the dark part around the nipple), down the front of the breast and along the breast crease. This type of breast reduction allows for large and small reduction amounts.

Lollipop: aka vertical breast reduction. This type of breast lift has less scarring than the inverted T mastopexy and is for patients with less sagging and less breast tissue to remove. The scar goes around the areola (the dark part around the nipple), and down the front of the breast.

Hidden scar: This scar is only along the breast crease. This is not a common type of breast lift but is done by Dr. K. Roxanne Grawe in Columbus, Ohio.

The Surgery:

Reduction Mammoplasty (Breast Reduction) is an outpatient surgery so you can go home the same day. The surgery takes about two hours. Your nipple will be re-positioned in the center of your breast, the excess breast tissue will be removed, and the skin will be re-draped to create a firm, perky, round breast. A special dressing will be placed over the incision sites and you will wake up in a surgery bra which you will wear all the time, except to shower, until you are healed.

Most people have some discomfort after surgery which is easily taken care of with pain medicine which will be prescribed for you by Dr. Grawe. It is common for patients to remark that their breast-related symptoms are gone right after surgery. Athough you will have swelling after surgery, you will look great in clothes immediately! Before you know it, you will have smaller, perky breasts that you are proud of!

You will notice a difference immediately after surgery but you will be very swollen and the results will improve with time as the swelling goes down and the scars fade.

You should not lift anything heavier than a gallon of milk for at least 2 weeks after surgery. You should walk around immediately after surgery and NOT stay in bed. This is important to prevent blood clots. You may remove your outer dressing and shower 48 hours after surgery. You should eat a healthy diet and as much protein as possible to promote good healing.

You may drive and return to work when you are no long taking prescription pain medicine. Most people are able to return to a light duty job about 1-2 weeks after surgery.

Remember that everyone is different. Recovery times and progression is not the same for everyone. The times stated are typical for healthy individuals healing from this surgery. The normal progression of healing may be different for those with health problems, smokers, and those who have unforeseen complications after surgery.

RISKS:

With every surgery there are risks involved including bleeding, infection, blood clots, pain, scarring, delayed healing and need for further surgery. Here are some complications specific to Breast Augmentation:

Wound healing problems: If an area of the breast skin does not heal normally, you may develop a wound which requires dressing changes and takes longer than normal to heal.

Asymmetry: Most people are not symmetrical from one side to the other and there may be asymmetries after surgery as well.

Scarring: Breast reduction has many scars on the breast – this is necessary to improve the shape of the breast, move the nipple to the center of the breast, and make the breasts smaller. The scars fade and improve over time. There may be a scar that looks worse than normal and additional treatments can be done to improve the result.

Nipple problems: The patient may not be able to breast feed after surgery. The nipple may loose sensation or become more sensitive. If the nipple does not get adequate blood supply after the lift, it may become like a wound and need additional treatments to improve the result.

Unhappy with size: Most women are very happy with their new size after surgery but sometimes patients wish they were bigger or smaller. Further surgery may be necessary to obtain the desired result and insurance may not pay for these additional surgeries.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can the areola size be reduced?

Areola (dark part around the nipple) size is commonly reduced in a breast reduction.

Does insurance pay for breast reduction surgery?

Usually insurance companies provide coverage for breast reduction surgery but they require that a certain amount of tissue be taken off for your specific BMI (body mass index) or BSA (body surface area). They believe this required amount of tissue, if removed will reduce your breast-related symptoms. If you desire less tissue taken off, they will not cover the procedure and your patient coordinator can go over pricing with you at your consultation. Many insurance companies also require that you have been treated for your symptoms for a certain period of time and provide proof of this treatment. This treatment may be in the form of prescribed salves & creams, physical therapy, massage therapy, or other treatments.